Augmented reality (AR) relates to providing an augmented real-world environment where the perception of a real-world environment (or data representing a real-world environment) is augmented or modified with computer-generated virtual data. For example, data representing a real-world environment may be captured in real-time using sensory input devices such as a camera or microphone and augmented with computer-generated virtual data including virtual images and virtual sounds. The virtual data may also include information related to the real-world environment such as a text description associated with a real-world object in the real-world environment. The objects within an AR environment may include real objects (i.e., objects that exist within a particular real-world environment) and virtual objects (i.e., objects that do not exist within the particular real-world environment).
In order to realistically integrate virtual objects into an AR environment, an AR system typically performs several tasks including mapping and localization. Mapping relates to the process of generating a map of a real-world environment. Localization relates to the process of locating a particular point of view or pose relative to the map of the real-world environment. In some cases, an AR system may localize the pose of a mobile device moving within a real-world environment in real-time in order to determine the particular pose associated with the mobile device that needs to be augmented as the mobile device moves within the real-world environment.
An AR environment may be provided to an end user of a mobile device using an electronic display (e.g., an LED display integrated with a head-mounted display device). The electronic display may display images of virtual objects to the end user by modulating light provided to the electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal on silicon display) or by generating light within the electronic display (e.g., an OLED display). An OLED, or organic light emitting diode, is an LED in which the emissive electroluminescent layer comprises an organic film. An OLED display may comprise a passive matrix OLED display or an active matrix OLED display. An active matrix OLED display uses one or more thin-film transistors (TFTs) within each OLED pixel for controlling the amount of light generated per pixel. In one example, each OLED pixel may comprise a first TFT for driving an OLED and a second TFT for latching data for controlling the first TFT. The TFTs may comprise polysilicon TFTs or amorphous silicon TFTs. In some cases, an OLED display may comprise groups of red, green, and blue emitting sub-pixels (i.e., each of the OLED pixels may comprise a plurality of LEDs for generating red, green, and blue light). An OLED display may also comprise groups of cyan, yellow, magenta, and white emitting sub-pixels.